Blue Ridge Beef recalls Puppy Mix over salmonella risk

Blue Ridge Beef is recalling Puppy Mix sold in seven U.S. states after a customer reported their litter was sickened and testing confirmed the product was contaminated with salmonella.

The recall involves two-pound packages of frozen Puppy Mix sold primarily in retail stores in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the North Carolina-based seller of raw food for pets stated in a recall notice posted on Monday by the Food and Drug Administration. 

Distributed between Aug. 6 and August 23, the impacted dog food had the UPC code of 854298001696 and one of two lot numbers: 08/06/N25 and 08/16/N25, according to the recall notice.

The problem was discovered when a customer reported the issue to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Blue Ridge Beef stated. The FDA notified the company last week that the products had tested positive for salmonella. 

Salmonella can affect animals and humans, including those handling tainted products. Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. 

Humans infected with the bacteria can experience symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. 

Pet owners who purchased the recalled product are urged to return items to the place of purchase or to destroy them in a way that children, pets and wildlife can’t access. 

For more information, customers can contact Blue Ridge Beef at blueridgebeefnc@yahoo.com or 704-873-2072.

A typo in the FDA notice left unclear how much of the recalled Puppy Mix was sold, and Blue Ridge Beef didn’t respond to questions seeking clarification.